Ozzy Osbourne talks about Parkinson's: 'I feel like I'm walking in lead shoes'

The 73-year-old musician is battling physical symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as movement difficulties that cause limping, and mental symptoms, such as depression, writes Prevention.

"I feel like I'm walking in lead shoes," Osborne said of his experience with the disease.

Ozzy is taking the disease better thanks to his wife Sharon.

Ozzy Osbourne has dealt with a range of health issues, from contracting COVID-19 to having neck surgery and treating symptoms related to his battle with Parkinson's. Although the "Patient Number 9" singer made headlines by saying he would return to England due to gun violence in the US, he also spoke about his general health. The star recently opened up about the physical and mental challenges associated with Parkinson's and what it's like to live with the disease.

After "a major operation [la gât] that he underwent, which his wife Sharon Osbourne says will "define the rest of his life," the Black Sabbath rocker has faced some complications. According to an interview with The Guardian, he is now suffering from nerve pain. "The pain got so bad that at one point I thought, 'Oh God, please don't let me wake up tomorrow morning.'

The side effects of the surgery exacerbated the difficulties Ozzy had already faced due to Parkinson's disease. Some of the symptoms of the disease also present in his case include movement problems such as lameness when walking. “You think you are lifting your legs, but the leg is not moving,” he explained in the same interview. "I feel like I'm walking in lead shoes."

Depression is another symptom associated with Parkinson's that also affects Ozzy. He explained that he "got to the point" where "nothing seemed interesting anymore", which led him to start taking antidepressants. “You learn to live in the present,” Ozzy continued. “You never know when you will wake up and not be able to get out of bed. But you just don't think about it."

Rocker first revealed his diagnosis in 2020, which he said was "terribly complex" in an interview with Good Morning America, with his wife Sharon explaining, "There are so many other types besides Parkinson's; it's not a death sentence, but it affects certain nerves in your body. And it's… like you had a good day and then a really bad one.

According to the Parkinson Foundation, Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, resulting in motor and non-motor symptoms, including tremors, limb stiffness, cognitive impairment, depression, and balance problems.

Luckily, Ozzy says Sharon has been a great support throughout his health journey. "We fight a little from time to time, but other than that we just get along." Sharon told The Guardian that one of her goals is to find a personal trainer to help Ozzy deal with his muscle "atrophy".

Despite this, the living legend Ozzy Osbourne intends to go on tour. "You haven't seen the end of Ozzy Osbourne's life yet, I promise you," he told The Guardian. "If I go on tour and die on the first song, I'll be back the next day."